Success Stories: From Geneva to Baidoa, Turning Dialogue into a National Peace Initiative
- March 10, 2026 15:18
Success Stories: From Geneva to Baidoa, Turning Dialogue into a National Peace Initiative
Success Stories highlight how connections, ideas, and inspiration sparked during Geneva Peace Week travel far beyond Geneva itself. They show how participants translate dialogue into action in their own contexts — launching initiatives, strengthening local peace efforts, and building bridges between global discussions and community realities. These stories reflect the ripple effect of peacebuilding: when one conversation leads to real change on the ground.
Interview with Mr. Mustafa Abdullahi, Director General at the Ministry of Interior, Local Governance and Reconciliation for the South West State of Somalia
1. Could you briefly introduce your current role and share a bit about your professional background and experience in peacebuilding, local governance, and reconciliation?
Since 2020, I serve as the Director General at the Ministry of Interior, Local Governance and Reconciliation for the Southwest State of Somalia, where I oversee programs related to community stabilization, reconciliation processes, and strengthening trust between citizens and public institutions. My work focuses on advancing locally led peacebuilding approaches that bring together traditional leaders, women, youth, civil society, and government actors to address conflict drivers at the community level.
Over the years, I have supported dialogue platforms, social cohesion initiatives, and governance reforms aimed at improving inclusive participation in decision-making. My approach emphasizes that sustainable peace must be rooted in local ownership, cultural understanding, and institutional collaboration between state and community.
My work also extends to civic education and engagement, which empowers citizens to understand their rights and responsibilities while strengthening democratic participation.
2. You participated in Geneva Peace Week in 2024 and 2025. What experience or moment during the Week most influenced you personally or professionally?
Participating in Geneva Peace Week offered an important opportunity to engage with people working at the intersection of peace, development, governance, culture, and social cohesion. One particularly influential moment was learning how multi-stakeholder dialogue platforms can move beyond discussion into structured, practical action by linking research institutions, governments, and grassroots organizations within a shared framework.
Exposure to initiatives that use arts, heritage, and community-based sporting activities to foster dialogue among youth and marginalized groups highlighted the transformative role of non-traditional approaches in addressing conflict drivers and rebuilding trust in fragile contexts. It reinforced the understanding that peacebuilding is not only achieved through political negotiation but also through shared social experiences that promote inclusion, mutual respect, and collective identity.
This experience shifted my perspective from viewing peacebuilding as a series of isolated governance interventions to seeing it as a coordinated ecosystem where dialogue, culture, and sport can work together to support resilience, prevent violence, and strengthen long-term social cohesion within communities such as those in Southwest State of Somalia.
3. After attending Geneva Peace Week, you helped inspire the creation of the South West Peace Week in Baidoa. How did the Geneva model shape your vision for this initiative in Somalia?
The Geneva model demonstrated how convening diverse actors in a neutral, inclusive space can foster collaboration across sectors that do not traditionally work together. Inspired by this approach, we launched the Southwest Peace Week in Baidoa as a locally led platform that connects policymakers, academic institutions, youth leaders, women’s groups, diaspora, religious scholars, and cultural elder leaders.
Rather than hosting dialogue sessions, the initiative aims to translate conversations into actionable policy recommendations, community-level reconciliation efforts, and long-term partnerships between government, civil society, and the diaspora. In shaping this vision, a key priority has been to ensure sustainability by embedding Peace Week into state structures as an annual platform, thereby reinforcing its role in reconciliation and inclusive governance.
4. The South West Peace Week brought together government leaders, scholars, youth, women, and cultural actors. Why is it important to combine peacebuilding with culture, education, and community activities?
Peacebuilding cannot succeed through political processes alone. Integrating cultural expression, education, and community engagement into peace initiatives helps rebuild trust, promote shared identity, and create safe spaces for dialogue beyond formal institutions.
By incorporating storytelling, academic discussions, youth forums, sports, and cultural activities into Southwest Peace Week, we are able to engage communities in ways that foster ownership of reconciliation processes. This holistic approach strengthens social cohesion and ensures that peacebuilding is not perceived as externally imposed but as a collective societal effort. Such integration will demonstrate that peacebuilding is most effective when it connects daily community life with reconciliation, making peace not only a political goal but a lived social reality.
5. What message would you share with other leaders from at-risk or conflict-affected contexts who are considering launching similar locally led peace initiatives?
My message would be that meaningful peacebuilding begins at the local level. Global platforms provide like the Geneva Peace Week provide valuable insights and networks, but lasting change depends on the ability of local institutions to adapt these ideas into culturally relevant and community-driven initiatives.
At the same time, diaspora communities represent an important bridge between global knowledge and local realities. Beyond financial contributions, there is much to learn from diaspora professionals. They bring technical expertise, exposure to inclusive governance models, and experience in multicultural dialogue that can enrich locally led reconciliation efforts. To start think of a modest initiative, prioritize inclusive participation, invest in partnerships between government, civil society, and diaspora networks, and create platforms that moves beyond dialogue.
6. Looking ahead, what are your hopes for the future of peacebuilding in the South West State of Somalia, and how do you see initiatives like Peace Week contributing to long-term stability and reconciliation?
Looking ahead, we hope to institutionalize Southwest Peace Week as an annual platform for dialogue, policy exchange, and partnership building that contributes to state-level reconciliation and national peace architecture in Somalia.
By fostering collaboration between public institutions, community leaders, diaspora, and international partners, the initiative has the potential to strengthen governance, prevent conflict escalation, and promote social cohesion across diverse communities.
We see Peace Week evolving into a regional hub for knowledge exchange and locally led peace innovation, contributing to long-term stability and inclusive development in Southwest State and beyond.
